by Molly Cannon
“I promise I’ll do better tomorrow night.”
She looked up, seeming surprised. “You still want to go out?”
Theo started the car. He wouldn’t blame her if she’d changed her mind after tonight’s fiasco. “Sure, if you do.”
“I do, Theo. I think we need to forget about tonight and replace it with a better one.”
He grinned. “I agree. But you did look pretty funny when you knocked Officer Melber over.”
She laughed. “Poor Owen. I hope I can explain things to his mother. She really is a friend, and I hope he doesn’t get into too much trouble with the sheriff.”
“I hope he learns to show a little bit better judgment next time he stops someone.”
Theo relaxed for the first time in hours as they drove toward Irene’s house. As they got closer to her front door he could only think of one thing. He was going to kiss her good night. She’d made it clear that this whole thing between them was temporary, and if that was the case he didn’t have a minute to waste on polite preliminaries. He put the car into park and jumped out of the car, running around to her side to help her down. He took her arm, tucking her close, and walked her up the long sidewalk that led to the front door. As they climbed the porch steps, the heat of her body seeped into his. Her long, dark hair cascaded like a curtain over his arm as he turned her to face him. They reached the top of her porch, and he couldn’t help but notice the incredible vista spread out below them. The lights of Everson twinkled and glowed like tiny jewels.
He turned to face Ree, and her eyes twinkled just as brightly.
“Thank you for inviting me to the reunion, Theo. I learned some things about myself that I needed to face.”
“It wasn’t supposed to be any kind of lesson. I just wanted you to have fun.”
“I had fun, too.”
“Okay, then. I guess I should say good night.”
“If Charlie wasn’t here, I’d invite you in for a nightcap. Until tomorrow night, then?”
“You bet.”
“Good night, Theo.” She wasn’t moving.
He leaned down until his mouth hovered over hers. “Good night, Ree.” His kiss made it clear that this was the first of many more to come. Unlike the other kisses they’d shared since he’d been back in town, this one had no agenda other than to say “I want you.” Plainly and simply. And it was all-consuming. With great effort he pulled away. “Damn that Charlie.” But he smiled when he said it.
She laughed and moved to the front door. “I better go in before he blinks the porch light.”
Theo raised his hand in a farewell gesture and loped down the steps to the Jeep. He sat watching until she was inside and the porch light went dark before he started the engine and drove down the hill.
Chapter Twenty-Two
He needed to buy a decent bed. That’s all he could think about. And because that was his main focus, he should have felt shallow, but there it was nonetheless. Since the night before, he had no doubt where this thing with Irene was heading. It was going to end up in a bed with them rolling around, burning up the sheets, and rearranging some furniture. And he didn’t have a bed that he could carry her to without being afraid she’d do permanent damage to her back. That lumpy twin bed he slept on now was totally unacceptable.
Her house was out of the question as long as good old Charlie was still in residence. She might have a gazillion bedrooms in that monstrosity on the hill, but he wouldn’t be able to relax as long as Sven’s son was parked somewhere nearby.
Ree obviously agreed since she wouldn’t invite him in last night. So the solution was to buy a new bed and have it delivered to the house on Overbrook. The work on the house was complete. The outside was painted buttercup yellow, and the landscaping gave it a welcome-home feel. If he was staying in town, he might consider buying it for himself. It wasn’t a huge house, but it was cozy and with the right furniture it would make a nice home.
He drove to Everson’s only furniture store and got out of his truck. The store was on the square. In fact, it was almost directly across from Irene’s I Do, I Do. But he hoped he could conduct his business without running into anyone he knew. He opened the front door and walked inside.
“Howdy-do, sir.” A tall man with gray hair and red suspenders approached him as he came in the door. “Welcome to Carter’s Fine Furnishings. How can I help you today?”
Theo looked at the man’s name tag. “Hello, Gavin. I’d like to buy a new bed.”
“Well, now. What did you have in mind? We have a nice variety to choose from. Are you just looking for a new mattress and box springs, or do you need the whole kit and caboodle?”
“What do you mean by kit and caboodle?”
Gavin walked over to where several bedrooms were set up complete with dressers, lamps, nightstands, and chests of drawers. “You know, everything to make your bedroom a relaxing haven at the end of the day.”
The man was waxing poetic, but he did have a point. Theo was going to need more than a new mattress. He was going to need linens and decent pillows. He was going to need the whole kit and caboodle.
He must have looked overwhelmed because Gavin took mercy on him. “Let’s take this one step at a time. What kind of mattress do you prefer? Soft, firm?”
Any mattress with Ree spread out on it.
He had to keep those kinds of thoughts tamped down if he was going to make it through this shopping expedition. “I have no idea.”
“Tell you what. Try out a couple of these babies and we’ll figure it out.” He pointed to a section where bare mattresses were lined up like a dormitory. He pointed to the first one. “Lie down and see what you think.”
Theo tried the first one and didn’t have much of an opinion. This was going to be more difficult than he’d expected. Gavin must have read his reaction and moved him on to another. He finally ended up on a bed that made his whole body go “ah.” He sat up and yelled, “This is it. I’ll take this one.”
Gavin smiled, knowing he was good at his job. “Yes, sir. What else can I help you with today?”
Theo hopped up and looked at the different bedroom setups. One featured a bedstead that had four thick solid columns on each corner. It was a solid, masculine bed without being too utilitarian. “I like this bed.”
“What about a dresser or a nightstand. Need someplace to put a lamp or an alarm clock, don’tcha?”
Theo figured the bedroom would look more finished if the bed wasn’t the only thing in it. He wouldn’t look so obvious, maybe. What the hell? Might as well go whole hog. “And I guess I’ll take the dresser and nightstands, too.”
Gavin looked like he might pop all his buttons. “Yes, sir. Would you like to schedule delivery for sometime next week?”
Theo panicked at that question. “Oh, I really need to have it delivered this afternoon. I’m willing to pay for a rush job.”
“I’ll have to talk to my delivery manager and see what we can do.” Gavin’s face pinched together in thought, but Theo didn’t see crowds of people milling around the store, so he didn’t see why an immediate delivery should be much of a problem.
“I’ll triple the delivery fee if your crew delivers everything this afternoon, sets up the new furniture, and hauls off my old bed.”
Gavin smiled from ear to ear. I’ll have my son, Gavin Jr., handle it personally. It’s a pleasure doing business with you, Mr.…”
“Jacobson, Theo Jacobson.”
“Are you related to Jake?”
“Sure am. He’s my big brother.”
“Well, I declare. Give him my regards.”
He left the furniture store and headed to a department store. He needed to buy sheets and blankets and one of those comforters. Now that he was committed to this deal he wanted it to look nice. He wanted Ree to be impressed. He wanted her to be comfortable. That was a bunch of bull. In reality he wanted her to be so besotted with lust that she wouldn’t notice if they were making love in the middle of a rocky field. But just in
case he wanted it to be nice.
The furniture was delivered and set up right on time. He made up the bed and asked Sadie what she thought. Sadie barked and curled up on her dog bed that sat in the corner of the room. She seemed to approve, but Theo still had his doubts. “Do you think she’ll like it, Sadie, or is it way too pushy? Do I look like the biggest lecher in the world?”
He refused to question his motives anymore. He had to get some actual work done today. He’d promised Lily Porter that he’d come look at her garbage disposal. He wasn’t a plumber, but he’d fixed his mom’s plenty of times while he was growing up. She promised to pay him with brownies, and he thought that was a fair deal. He had to finish in time to get home, walk Sadie, and jump in the shower. After all, he had a hot date tonight.
Irene was knee-deep in the middle of planning the Foster-McKinney wedding when the door to her shop opened. Lizzie Harris walked inside and plopped down in the chair next to Irene’s desk.
“Sorry to barge in, Mrs. Cornwell, but I need your advice again.”
“Call me Irene, please, and I’ll help however I can.”
“Okay, Irene. Matthew and I still want to get married right away, but our families aren’t cooperating at all. We’re thinking of eloping. In fact that’s what Matthew is pushing for. At least that way he’ll get his Elvis impersonator. But the idea that our relatives won’t be there for the ceremony breaks my heart.”
“I know you talked about doing something simple in someone’s backyard.”
“But no one can agree on a date or whose backyard to use. I just want to scream. They are throwing up roadblocks every time I turn around, and it’s taking all the joy out of what should be the happiest day of our lives.”
Irene tapped her fingernail on her cheek trying to think of a solution. Then she suddenly got a wild idea, one Lizzie might reject out of hand. But it would actually benefit them both. “Lizzie, I’m going to suggest something, and you are free to tell me no.”
“Okay. What is it?”
Irene tried to keep the excitement in her voice from influencing the young woman. “Why don’t you get married on my float during the parade?”
“On the Fourth? How would that even work?” Lizzie looked at her like she was crazy.
Irene smiled. “Before you decide I’m completely out of my noggin, let’s talk it out.”
“Okay. Anything that gets me married to Matthew—well, I’m all ears.” Lizzie bounced up and down eagerly.
“Well, first of all most of your friends and relatives would be in town for the Fourth, anyway. They’d be scattered along the route, and we could perform a part of the ceremony at stops along the way. By the time you get to the end, you’d be man and wife.”
Lizzie widened her eyes as she considered the idea. “Is that legal?”
Irene nodded. “Why not? And the picnic afterward could be a great reception. I’m having cake made to hand out on the route, and I’m sure we could have extra made for you and Matthew. I needed to find someone to stand in as bride and groom and wave to the crowd, anyway. A real bride and groom makes it even better. What do you say?”
Lizzie’s eyes gleamed. “What about our Elvis?”
Irene grinned at the young woman. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Lizzie grinned back. “It still sounds nuts, but it might work. Let me talk to Matthew and see what he says.” Lizzie left the shop practically skipping, and Irene could see that she was giving it some serious thought. It would give her float the wow factor she’d been missing. The more she thought about it, the more perfect the plan seemed to be.
The door opened again, and she expected to see Lizzie back with more questions. Instead her aunt Jo Anne walked inside, carrying a big stack of books and magazines.
“Aunt Jo! I’m so happy to see you, but what brings you all the way to Everson?”
“You do, of course. And I assume you meant it when you said you could use my help in this place.” Jo Anne was dressed formally in a shirtwaist dress with heels and a pearl necklace around her neck. That was her idea of work attire, and Irene wasn’t going to tell her any different.
Irene stood up and walked around her desk to give her aunt a welcoming hug. “Of course I meant it. I’m in the middle of making a wedding scheme right now, and I could use your opinion.” She nodded to the stack of books her aunt carried. “What’s all this?”
“Oh, just some ideas I found when I started doing some research. I wanted to come in with a little bit of knowledge about how things are done these days.”
“That’s great.” She took the stack from her aunt and put them on an empty shelf. “I’d like to look through them, too.”
“So, how can I help?”
“Here, have a seat by me, and I’ll show you what I’m working on right now.”
They sat down together, and she showed her aunt the plan she was drawing up for her current client. “The ceremony will be at the Methodist church, and the reception will be in the bride’s parents’ backyard. Since it is a small wedding they decided to splurge on the reception.”
“In my day we got married at the church and retired to a banquet room for punch and cake. Nobody fooled with all this folderal and nonsense. It seems like a big waste of money to me.”
“Well, I can say thank goodness for me the times have changed and folks want more of a celebration on their wedding day. Something to share with family and friends.”
“I guess.” Her aunt picked up a small circle of pearls. “What’s this?”
“It’s a napkin ring. The bride loves pearls, so I’m including them in the table settings wherever I can.”
“So, we just find the theme and carry it out in the reception?”
“More or less. I have to learn to balance what the bride wants with what mama wants and what daddy’s willing to pay.”
“You were always a good negotiator.”
“Thanks, Aunt Jo.” She went over the rest of the wedding with her, noting that her aunt was full of good ideas and suggestions. It would be nice to have another brain to bounce things around with.
“So, how was the reunion?”
“It was fine.” She had told her aunt she’d decided to attend.
“You don’t sound too enthusiastic. Did you go with Theo?”
Irene sighed. “I did.”
“And did you see some of your old friends?”
She sighed again. “I did.”
“Anyone I would know?”
“Christine Dempsey. I understand she’s active in the Women’s League.”
“I know Christine. She’s a royal pain in the ass.”
“Aunt Jo!”
“Well, she is. That girl acts like she’s the queen of Derbyville and the rest of us are all her underlings allowed membership only to do her bidding. Just because she married that danged Cole fellow.”
“I hate to tell you this, but she acted that way in high school, too. Seeing her again was a good thing. I’ve let her meanness live inside my head all of these years, and now she’s lost all the power she had to intimidate me.”
“Well, good for you, Irene. Maybe I’ll tell her to take a flying leap next time she asks me to serve on one of her committees.”
Irene laughed, happy to share something with her aunt. “I was about to take a coffee break when you showed up. How about some coffee and a piece of pie over at the diner?”
Jo Anne stood up and grabbed her purse. “I never say no to coffee. Pie sounds good, too.”
Irene locked up the shop, and they made their way across the square to the Rise-N-Shine. As they slid into one of the red vinyl booths, Bertie came hurrying over. “Darlin’, are you okay?”
Irene was alarmed by her tone of voice. “I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be? This is my aunt Jo Anne, by the way.”
“How do you do? Bertie Harcourt,” she said, introducing herself. The two women nodded cordially before Bertie was off to the races again. “Nell, told me all about how you were making out with Theo out on
Bramble Bush Lane and how you got arrested for assaulting a police officer.”
“What?” Aunt Jo Anne bolted to attention.
Irene shook her head at her aunt as if to say it wasn’t what it sounded like. “She did, did she?”
Bertie acted all sympathetic. “Nell said it was just awful.”
Irene wanted to say Nell’s habit of telling tales was just awful, but she held her tongue. “Did she also tell you that it was all a big misunderstanding? And that no charges were brought?”
“No, but she did say she took you back to your car once that nice Charlie got you out of jail.”
“Exactly. But he didn’t have to get us out, because the sheriff showed up and let us go. End of story. Sorry, Aunt Jo.” Her aunt’s face had paled to the color of the coffee creamer. “I was going to tell you what happened, but we were having such a nice visit.” She gave Bertie a pointed look, which had no effect on the woman at all.
Aunt Jo unrolled her napkin and arranged her silverware at her place setting. “It’s not really any of my concern what you do, Irene.”
Irene heard the note of disappointment in her aunt’s voice. Nell and her big mouth. “Of course it is. Bertie would you bring us some coffee and two pieces of pie? What kind do you want, Aunt Jo?”
“I’ll take peach, no ice cream.” She sounded like she was ordering arsenic.
Irene smiled at Bertie. “And I’ll have coconut cream.”
Bertie seemed confounded at not getting any more juicy details, but she nodded and hurried off to fill their order.
“It sounds like you had quite an adventure. So, I guess this means things are heating up again with Theo. Making out in cars. My goodness.”
She didn’t want to talk to her aunt about Theo. Especially not the way he heated her up every time he was anywhere near her. Especially since whatever she planned to do with him would be a short-term affair at best.
“We weren’t making out. We were merely talking. The police officer misunderstood. I do have a date with him tonight, though. Dinner and a movie. We are taking things slow, and we are hoping to reclaim our friendship. That means a lot to me.”